It was the best scenario for the UH-Hilo women’s basketball team in the new age of coronavirus hoops, playing the PacWest pod’s best team first before closing with the weak sisters.
No. 2 Hawaii Pacific defeated the Vulcans 76-61 on Thursday at the UHH Gym, winning its 36th straight and taking all six games in the merry-go-round season.
It was senior day, the last home games for Kim Schmelz, Sara Shimizu, and Malia Lee, although all three are eligible to return next season.
“There’s a possibility that Sara may come back,” UHH coach David Kaneshiro said. “Malia just got engaged, so she’s going to get married and move on. It was a great day for Kim, who got on the scoreboard with her 1,000 point.”
Schmelz broke the 1,000-point barrier with four points on 2-of-10 shooting and has 1,003 points in her career.
Shimizu had a nice game with 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds while Lee finished with a double-double, 11 points, and 10 rebounds. Schmelz is second on the all-time scoring list.
Mandi Kawaha, at 5 feet 2 and one of the shortest players, showed her determination with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Jenna Waki scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting for the Vulcans (4-6), who shot 39% from the field.
Amy Baum shot just 3 of 16 from the field but set an HPU record with 14 of 14 free throws and finished with 15 points. Olivia West scored 18 points, Alysha Marcucci added 15, and Ally Bates had 11 for the Sharks (11-0), who converted 38% from the floor.
The Sharks were faster and more opportunistic, outscoring the Vuls on points off fast-breaks 22-2 and turnovers 12-0.
“We played hard but give HPU credit. They’re a good team,” Kaneshiro said. “When you’re off a little defensively, they make you pay. Their length gave us some issues but our movement was better and we were able to create lanes.
“This group, especially our seniors, their unselfishness and caring for their teammates have been a good example for all of us. Anyone watching online you can see the genuine love they have for each other. I’ve been blessed to be a part of it.”
There were just too many mountains for the Vulcans to climb. Whenever they got close, HPU ran an unstoppable play and took off on a scoring run.
In the second quarter, UHH went on a 9-0 run, capped by Kawaha’s 3-pointer, to cut HPU’s lead to 30-25.
Then Makenna Gambee got in good position in the post and scored. After Kawaha scored on a layup, Baum took a picnic in the paint and score over the shorter Vulcans for a 36-27 lead.
In a senior moment to remember, Shimizu drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the third quarter.
HPU carried a 55-44 lead into the final eight minutes and didn’t seem fazed at all after Shimizu sank her third triple.
Shimizu knocked down another 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. She trimmed HPU’s lead to 67-59 with 43.8 seconds remaining.
Then Baum sank four consecutive free throws with 36 seconds left.
The ideal situation for a senior game is playing an opponent you can beat. That didn’t happen on UHH’s senior day. But the seniors get the next best thing when the Vuls close their season Friday and Saturday, March 5-6 against winless Chaminade (0-8).
One other thing for the UHH senior to remember was their last shot in their home gym. Lee and Shimizu each went 1 for 4 on 3-point attempts, while Schmelz was 1 of 3, missing a half-court heave and a 3-point attempt before dropping in a layup.
“Even though the scoreboard wasn’t what we wanted, it was still a memorable day for the three seniors,” Kaneshiro said.